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Increasing pressures on and interest in remote and natural lands have necessitated the formulation of wilderness protection and management policies by many Australian nature conservation authorities. Planners and managers require detailed information on variation in wilderness quality and the capacity to assess the impact on wilderness of development proposals or management strategies. To meet these demands advances have been made in techniques of wilderness identification and analysis, and a national inventory of remote and natural land in Australia has been commenced. This paper reviews these developments, discussing the newly established National Wilderness Inventory and its implications for wilderness protection in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Examines how the United States Bureau of Land Management personnel interpreted roads in the context of wilderness policy implementation. Assessment of ambiguity and changes in policy; Influence of existing understandings on the interpretations of roads; Recommendation of use of multiple analytical frames in interpreting policy.

BSTRACT: The arid Southwest of the United States is confronted with increasing water demands and a limited resource. Past efforts to meet water demand have been directed toward development of scarce water resources. While development programs have been successful in stretching available supply, few feasible development options remain. Furthermore, heavy water utilization has affected water quality within drainage basins. It seems likely that water management will play a much more significant role in water resource allocation in the future. This paper will examine water development activity in the Southwest to date. Attention will be given to several of the problems that have arisen. The paper will then examine water management options. Particular attention will be given to water management options being implemented in the State of Arizona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventeen variables were used to explain differences in wilderness use or nonuse in samples of the general public and wilderness users from Illinois. The variables important in determining who will use wilderness are different from those that are important in influencing the amount of use among present users. Some traditional demographic variables have been found to be of lesser importance than some nondemographic variables. Results from multivariate analysis indicate that of the 17 variables tested, sex had the greatest influence in determining both who uses wilderness and who intends to use wilderness in the future. The other standard socioeconomic variables of income, age, and occupation were of little importance, relative to the other variables used, in predicting who would use wilderness. Of the personality variables, only leisure values were important in distinguishing users from nonusers. The measures of wilderness values (approval, purism, and information) were important in determining who uses wilderness, but of little value in predicting the amount of wilderness use among users. Conversely, the constraining variables of number of children and amount of vacation were more influential in estimating the amount of time spent in wilderness than who would use wilderness. Of the socioeconomic variables other than sex, only income and age were of some importance in influencing the amount of use. The personality variables tested showed little value in distinguishing between heavy and light users. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

On 22 May 1989 the Australian Government announced that it would not sign the Antarctic Minerals Convention that had been concluded in June 1988. Australia had been a strong supporter of the minerals treaty approach to regulating Antarctic mineral development. This case study in Australian foreign policy examines four well known approaches to foreign policy making in order to explain Australia's volte face on the minerals treaty. It is concluded that domestic politics best explains Australia's decision and that students of Australian foreign policy need to pay more attention to the domestic determinants of the policy making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers news briefs related to nature and wildlife conservation. The International Whaling Commission will create an inventory of all information on whales as an initial step in whale stock assessment. Ireland has developed new nature reserves which covers 6852 acres of wetlands, woodlands, hills, and coasts. The National Trust of England and Wales banned the use of lead fishing weights from June 15, 1986 due to the increasing number of swans dying each year in Great Britain.

Presents a study which investigates the environmental perceptions of three culture groups, which were affiliated with the James Bay hydroelectric project. Methodology used to conduct the study; Discussion based on the results of the study.

Mediation support systems for facilitating resolution of natural resources conflicts must be able to systematically identify and use a full complement of data and value sets relevant to the spectrum of issues underlying the conflict. A stepwise computer-supported procedure for developing and then blending contrasting issue-sensitive stakeholder plans in map form for forest use is described and demonstrated. The goal is a balanced plan that efficiently satisfies the more important land-use guidelines of each stakeholder reasonably well. This procedure, SIROMED, can be applied at any level of detail compatible with available analytical resources and to resources other than forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Option value is estimated for the Washakie Wilderness, northwest Wyoming, USA, using the contingent valuation technique. Consumer surplus, the traditional measure of economic value, is estimated separately and compared with option value. Several populations are tested, including Washakie visitors, Yellowstone National Park visitors, and residents from four metropolitan test markets: Salt Lake City, Utah; Portland, Oregon; Nashville, Tennessee; and Orlando, Florida, USA. The average annual preservation option value (consumer surplus) expressed by on-site wilderness visitors is $46.17 ($80.13), by urban residents is $9.70 ($8.97), and by rural residents is $8.43 ($7.80). Four selected attributes are determined to be important in motivating option demand for the Washakie, including existence value, bequest value, the desire for an on-site visit, and interest in securing the visiting privileges of others. The results suggest that option value is important in wilderness valuation and that off-site users account for a large part of the economic value of wilderness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural landscapes produce goods and services, such as fish, wildlife, recreation, climate control, that are not adequately incorporated in their market values. Contingent Valuation (CV) and Energy Analysis (EA) approaches were used to estimate the nonmarket value of forests in Georgia. Both methods yielded similar estimates of approximately $200 ha, which was 31% of the total market and nonmarket value of forests. Energy analysis was also used to estimate the nonmarket value of the major land uses in Georgia. Relative contributions of nonmarket value to total value ranged from 0.1% for urban areas to approximately 100% for wetlands. For the state as a whole, nonmarket production of natural and developed ecosystems was estimated at $2.6 billion. This value is comparable to annual marketed agricultural ($2.8 billion) and timber ($4.5 billion) production, both very important industries in Georgia. Changing land use patterns in Georgia and elsewhere are likely to be accompanied by shifts in the relative importances of market and non-market values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model presented here is a simulation of the watershed of the Little South Fork of the Cache la Poudre River system located in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. This simulation model, TERRA, provides information of resource interactions, ecosystem processes, and harvest ramifications for this watershed. The information is generated through sets of difference equations to represent process flows. The model has a modular design that separates the ecologic processes-weather conditions, hydrologic functions, forage and timber production, wildlife and domestic population dynamics, recreation use, and management activities-from the 'simulation planning overhead'-updating, plotting, and printing. The model is designed such that the output is readily usable information for an allocation model and the decision-making process. This is accomplished by allowing different levels of specified management activities as input and producing responses and output on a per unit land area basis. This simulation is a useful research tool for estimating parameter and variable values and levels of management-resource interaction. Lack of a pertinent field data base inhibits the model from actually being used as a management tool in the planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of the grassy balds of the Great Smoky Mountains is examined. Some of the areas were cleared by settlers. Grazing by sheep and cattle and the cutting of trees were probably the most important factors in maintaining the grass sward; fire apparently was not used. Vegetation survey plots indicated that little of the original balds' area was still grassy and that most of the invading trees and shrubs could be expected to sprout if cut or burned. Areas presently trampled or mowed had a flora similar to a bald that was still grazed. High-elevation burn scars had many species in common with the grassy balds but had dissimilar community structures; therefore, a policy favoring natural fires would be unlikely to encourage maintanence or formation of grassy balds. The management of open grassy areas on National Forest lands was investigated. Burning was the favored technique, although hand cutting, mowing, and grazing were used. The results of testing various management practices on Gregory Bald are reviewed in terms of cost, impact, and historical authenticity. Implications for park management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of sustainable development has become, over the last fifteen years, an integral part of international environmental law and policy. It is recognition that environmental issues do not exist in a vacuum, but rather arc part of much wider structural issues involving both economic and social dimensions. However, does this concern for sustainable development now mean that protecting the natural environment is no longer about ecological conservation per se, but rather is simply abour ensuring an adequate environment to maintain economic development? And if so, what of those environments where the economic value is a secondary consideration? Or where human activity has a disproportionate effect? Can sustainable development be interpreted in a way that reconciles these seemingly opposite demands? This paper examines these issues from the perspective of the 1991 Madrid Protocol on Environmental Protection to the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. It will suggest that sustainable development is a broader concept than one that simply requires an instrumental approach to environmental protection. In fact, the paper will conclude that sustainable development is a relatively meaningless notion if it docs not also contain a strong element of environmental conservation, and not only in such ecologically important areas as Antarctica. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article analyzes the status of wilderness in the United States, summarizes the policy problems and suggest the contributions to these problems of research on environmental effects and environmental perception. In the United States, between one and two percent of the 48-State area is wilderness. There is seldom any registration or direct count, and estimates vary from guesses to careful analysis of outfitters' records, parking area counts, and so on. The controversy over wilderness policy is surprisingly strong. There are numerous active organizations and pressure groups working on all sides of the question. Wilderness has been the subject of much legislative activity. The sort of people devoted to the wilderness cause helps to explain the seemingly excessive policy controversy. In general, environmental research seems to present two aspects. One is the effect of the wilderness environment. The second, and closely related, is the perception of the environment. Environmental research on wilderness needs to be supplemented by other types of studies, however. Wilderness research may also contribute to the more general study of landscape perception. Although the complexity of wilderness research has been stressed, yet the problems are relatively simple compared to those of most environments.

Sustainable conservation planning depends on understanding local context including the way social values impact a landscape. Flamingos are used here as a flagship species to focus the social values of a broad range of people living in and working in the Camargue in France. A survey questionnaire (n = 87) was used to identify the range of ways in which people value the landscape and their perception of effectiveness of flamingo management strategies. Survey analysis was conducted through a multi-method approach, triangulating standard descriptive statistics, qualitative data analysis, and multivariate analysis applying numerical taxonomy. Applying numerical taxonomy allowed us to identify and define six social assemblages. Each assemblage had geographical characteristics with distinct values and perceptions in relation to management. The primary residence and geographic identity of the participants was defining, showing clear value differences from participants living in different parts of the delta. The participants most frequently agreed that flamingos contributed to the aesthetic, economic, biodiversity, and recreational values of the landscape. We show how identifying points of consensus and points in contest is necessary for navigating differences in values for conservation planning. This research shows the importance of the local social context in sustainably managing landscape change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an explorer he's walked from pole to pole. As an environmental engineer he's worked on sustainability projects the world over. As a motivational speaker he sets new goals for management and gives the odd talk about cannibalism. Nick Smith hears Tim Jarvis's story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of conservation planning has focused on how we should prioritize areas for protection based on biodiversity and cost, but less is known about how we should prioritize areas based upon the level of threat they face. We discuss two opposing threat prioritization strategies: frontier conservation (prioritizing high‐threat areas) and wilderness conservation (prioritizing low‐threat areas). Using a temporally explicit model, we demonstrate that the best strategy depends on a variety of factors, including protection costs, heterogeneity in biodiversity, biodiversity–area relationships, the rate of biodiversity recovery, the rate of change in threats through time, and the timeframe within which we measure conservation outcomes. By quantitatively comparing the impact of these strategies, we aim to shift the debate away from a simple dichotomy of frontier versus wilderness, toward an understanding of the context‐specific benefits of each option, and a discussion of how threat combines with other factors to determine spatial conservation priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the place value of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress in Korea, a mountain fortress located in natural resources with UNESCO World Heritage Site status, in order to classify visitors according to place value and to establish marketing strategies based on the characteristics of each profile. In particular, for sustainable cultural heritage development, visitors were asked to evaluate the place value of the site from various perspectives, through a presentation of government policies and business based on both the world heritage value and the inherent attractiveness of the site. Utilizing a person-centered approach, a latent profile analysis (LPA) was applied to a sample of visitors to Hwaseong Fortress (N = 656), with visitors classified by place value into four profiles: Outing Seekers (OS), Tourism Seekers (TS), Heritage Seekers (HS), and Serious Travel Seekers (SS). These profiles differed in relation to distance from the study setting from travelers' residence, recognition of the fortress as a World Heritage site, and the degree to which the World Heritage site status influenced the decision to visit. The profiles also showed differences in visit satisfaction and intent to revisit. This study contributes a better understanding of visitors' evaluated value of heritage sites and corresponding behaviors, in order to provide sustainable management for the heritage tourism market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports published within the issue, including A. Ford and T. G. Blekinsop on the evaluation of geological complexity and complexity gradients as controls on copper mineralisation and D. I. Groves and V. J. Ojala on reconnaissance-scale conceptual fuzzy-logic prospectivity modeling for iron oxide copper - gold deposits in Fennoscandian Shield, Finland.

Examines the trends on the decisions made by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding environmental law disputes. Enforcement of choices made by Congress in environmental statues; Limit on the judicial expansion of substantive duties or procedural rights in environmental cases; Refusal of the Court to allow the involvement of federal courts in substantive environmental rulemaking.